If you have any interest in this area this is a must have book.
Simple and generaly fast reading,with lots of images to further extend the meaning of the text. Written by someone who knows about the art of fighter fighting. Good for real and virtual pilots alike (so many people say)

This book is a serious educational tool for modern fighter pilots. I tried reading it in high school when I thought I wanted to "grow up to be a fighter pilot." The best thing about it is that I learned that being a fighter pilot requires a lot more knowledge of math and physics than I'd ever imagined. Real fighter jocks have to be a great deal smarter than they are portrayed in movies.



The subject matter is fascinating, and the book is clear and well-written. If you read it carefully, you will certainly learn something, but unless you are also sitting in a cockpit day after day, you won't have any context for the information you've put in your head.



I suppose a die-hard combat flight sim pilot might be able to improve his or her air combat skills with this book, but, honestly, for a civilian, the only reason to read this book is because you are so obsessed with air combat that you simply must immerse yourself in this subject matter. I doubt someone who has never flown into real air-to-air combat will ever have a true appreciation of the knowledge this book has to offer.

This book is a serious educational tool for modern fighter pilots. I tried reading it in high school when I thought I wanted to "grow up to be a fighter pilot." The best thing about it is that I learned that being a fighter pilot requires a lot more knowledge of math and physics than I'd ever imagined. Real fighter jocks have to be a great deal smarter than they are portrayed in movies.

The subject matter is fascinating, and the book is clear and well-written. If you read it carefully, you will certainly learn something, but unless you are also sitting in a cockpit day after day, you won't have any context for the information you've put in your head.

I suppose a die-hard combat flight sim pilot might be able to improve his or her air combat skills with this book, but, honestly, for a civilian, the only reason to read this book is because you are so obsessed with air combat that you simply must immerse yourself in this subject matter. I doubt someone who has never flown into real air-to-air combat will ever have a true appreciation of the knowledge this book has to offer.

... then this book is a must-have. However if you are a pretty casual flight simmer and just are out for fun, this will just complicate your approach unnecessarily.

I got it with the intention of getting more serious, but unless you are a young person with ambitions of joining the air force, you may be better off just getting what info there is on line already.

This book covers all aspects of ACM, and it is excellent for that. Just that after having read the book, I found I lacked the time to PRACTICE the maneuvers covered therein. And practice is the only way you will be able to translate what's in the book into anything more real. If you have an interest in combat flight, you may enjoy the book anyway, on another level.

All in all I'd have to say that it was a good addition to my library- now just trying to get the time to implement it in my fav sim.

... then this book is a must-have. However if you are a pretty casual flight simmer and just are out for fun, this will just complicate your approach unnecessarily.

I got it with the intention of getting more serious, but unless you are a young person with ambitions of joining the air force, you may be better off just getting what info there is on line already.

This book covers all aspects of ACM, and it is excellent for that. Just that after having read the book, I found I lacked the time to PRACTICE the maneuvers covered therein. And practice is the only way you will be able to translate what's in the book into anything more real. If you have an interest in combat flight, you may enjoy the book anyway, on another level.

All in all I'd have to say that it was a good addition to my library- now just trying to get the time to implement it in my fav sim.

A very competent insight on the dynamics of ACM and the relationship of the aircraft and weapon systems.

Fighter Combat by Shaw is the definitive book on air combat in any decade.

Like so many others have said, Shaw's book is utterly comprehensive, covering everything from the most basic of basics, to advanced maneuvering tactics for fighting when faced with superior odds and superior aircraft. I originally purchased Fighter Combat as an aid to my knowledge in combat flight simulators, but I quickly found that even small portions of Shaw's book contained a level of knowledge that absolutely dwarfed my own.

Highly, highly recommended. If you're a flight-sim enthusiast, a jet fighter enthusiast or the like, there is no more authoritative work.

Fighter Combat by Shaw is the definitive book on air combat in any decade.

Like so many others have said, Shaw's book is utterly comprehensive, covering everything from the most basic of basics, to advanced maneuvering tactics for fighting when faced with superior odds and superior aircraft. I originally purchased Fighter Combat as an aid to my knowledge in combat flight simulators, but I quickly found that even small portions of Shaw's book contained a level of knowledge that absolutely dwarfed my own.

Highly, highly recommended. If you're a flight-sim enthusiast, a jet fighter enthusiast or the like, there is no more authoritative work.

Although no previous knowledge is assumed, this textbook on fighter tactics is strictly no-nonsense and requires committed study. Diagrams show the movement of aircraft by tracing the path of their wingtips, then have marked discussion points, as is evident by this pretty typical excerpt:

"The direction chosen by the defender to stop his roll at time '3' is calculated so that the inverted, wings-level pull-down will place him at point '4', the peak of the maneuver, with his nose aimed at a point almost directly above the bogey's predicted position at that time..."

Here's a list of chapters:

Fighter Weapons
Basic Fighter Maneuvers
One-versus-One Maneuvering, Similar Aircraft
One-versus-One Maneuvering, Dissimilar Aircraft
Section Tactics, Two versus One
Section Tactics, Two-versus-Two
Division Tactics
Unlimited-Aircraft Tactics
Fighter Missions
Tactical Intercepts
Appendix: Fighter Performance

Each chapter is broken down into sections, most with a diagram and about 4 pages of text. Here's how "Basic Fighter Maneuvers" is broken down:

Pursuit Curves
Lag Displacement Rolls
High Yo-Yo
Low Yo-Yo
Lead Turn
Nose-to-Nose and Nose-to-Tail Turns
Flat Scissors
Vertical and Oblique Turns
Rolling Scissors
Defensive Spiral
Notes

Sprinkled throughout are pity quotes that illustrate particular points and lighten the mood:

"Aerial gunnery is 90 percent instinct and 10 percent aim"

Although no previous knowledge is assumed, this textbook on fighter tactics is strictly no-nonsense and requires committed study. Diagrams show the movement of aircraft by tracing the path of their wingtips, then have marked discussion points, as is evident by this pretty typical excerpt:

"The direction chosen by the defender to stop his roll at time '3' is calculated so that the inverted, wings-level pull-down will place him at point '4', the peak of the maneuver, with his nose aimed at a point almost directly above the bogey's predicted position at that time..."

Here's a list of chapters:

Fighter Weapons
Basic Fighter Maneuvers
One-versus-One Maneuvering, Similar Aircraft
One-versus-One Maneuvering, Dissimilar Aircraft
Section Tactics, Two versus One
Section Tactics, Two-versus-Two
Division Tactics
Unlimited-Aircraft Tactics
Fighter Missions
Tactical Intercepts
Appendix: Fighter Performance

Each chapter is broken down into sections, most with a diagram and about 4 pages of text. Here's how "Basic Fighter Maneuvers" is broken down:

Pursuit Curves
Lag Displacement Rolls
High Yo-Yo
Low Yo-Yo
Lead Turn
Nose-to-Nose and Nose-to-Tail Turns
Flat Scissors
Vertical and Oblique Turns
Rolling Scissors
Defensive Spiral
Notes

Sprinkled throughout are pity quotes that illustrate particular points and lighten the mood:

"Aerial gunnery is 90 percent instinct and 10 percent aim"

Robert Shaw knows all there is to know about ACM and BFM. His book is a no-nonsense treatise on modern air combat techniques. It can be a bit dry if you're looking for an engaging "popular science" sort of approach, but if you're looking for a manual with all the accumulated knowledge of fighter pilots since man first took a pistol into a biplane, this is the definitive work.